by our College Data Analytics Team
[Criminology](/majors/social-sciences/criminology/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong criminology education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for criminology students.
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If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the criminology degrees they offer, see the list below.
Leading the list is Lander University, our #1 best value for criminology in South Carolina. Located in the town of Greenwood, Lander University is a mid-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,700, with out-of-state students paying around $21,300. Criminology graduates carry a median of $26,064 in student loans. Early-career criminology graduates make about $37,548. Set against $26,064 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 81%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Coker College earned it the #2 place for criminology. Coker College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Hartsville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $33,416. Students borrow a median of $30,000 to complete the criminology program here. Soon after graduation, criminology degree recipients from Coker College generally make around $25,862. Set against $30,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 94% of applicants are accepted.
Clemson University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value criminology schools. Set in the suburb of Clemson, Clemson University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $15,554, compared with $40,866 for out-of-state students. Criminology graduates carry a median of $22,375 in student loans. Criminology graduates of Clemson University earn a median of $38,057 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $22,375 median debt. Roughly 38% of applicants are accepted.
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.